Dove Letters
by zairoon
Summary: It all started with a dove. Conan was familiar with that dove. He saved her once, a few months ago. That one dove he'd saved back then, was now sitting leisurely on his windowsill, red eyes looking around while cooing softly. Conan named her Tama. It all started with a dove. It also started with a note. [KIDCon/KaiShin]


Hello Minna-san~!

Short starting note: this was written purely for the prompt "Love Letter" on KaiShin discord server. It has also been crossposted on AO3 under the pseuds ZaiBan2989 for those who prefer to read it there! I hope you will all enjoy the read! I certainly had fun writing it!

I am also disclaiming that Detective Conan/Magic Kaito are not mine and it makes me want to cry.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

* * *

 _It all started with a dove._

Conan was familiar with that dove. He saved her once, a few months ago. The dove had a nasty wound due to a terrible gunshot. Thankfully, Ran and he had taken care of her and managed to quickly nurse her back to health.

He'd always considered the dove to be a _she_ , but he'd never actually confirmed it. Not that it really mattered anyway. The dove had stayed with him for two days only. She had then flown away to her rightful owner, that one fateful night Kaitou KID had saved his ass for the first time. If not for him, Edogawa Conan would have been nothing more but a painful memory. And for that, Conan respected the thief.

 _It all started with a dove._

That one dove he'd saved back then, was now sitting leisurely on his windowsill, red eyes looking around while cooing softly. Conan named her Tama.

He was in bed the first time he saw Tama again. He'd been sick and resting under the covers for a week, bored out of his mind, and so damn happy to finally have something unusual happening. Because Tama being here, chirping cheerfully at him when he was certain her owner hadn't planned any heist for the next few days, was something _definitely_ out of the ordinary.

"Why are you here, Tama?", Conan whispered softly, careful of not making his throat more painful, as he watched the bird fly from the window to the edge of his bed. She only cooed at him again, before poking her beak to the side of her leg.

 _Was that …?_

Kicking off the thick blanket he was under with his small feet, Conan straightened up and reached out a hand to the dove. There was something attached to her left leg. _Something_ he picked up easily from her, as she simply stared at him with those piercing red eyes he couldn't decipher.

 _It all started with a dove. It also started with a note._

Unfolding the rolled-up piece of paper, he quickly started reading it - one, two, three times - frowning more and more as the minutes passed. Kaitou KID wrote him a _note_. Not a heist note, no. A very strange, somewhat _personal_ note and Conan had no idea how to process it.

 _From Lupin to Holmes,_

 _Your secret is revealed, but safe I shall keep it._

 _In return, Great Detective, only your trust I ask for._

No doubt KID was referring to himself as Lupin and Conan as Holmes, that much was obvious - and rather meaningless if you asked him. What was weird, though, was the rest of the message. Conan already _knew_ the thief had figured out his biggest secret. Hell, the guy had _disguised_ as Kudou Shinichi to help him through a difficult time not long ago. So what was this all about?

Rolling-up the little parchment in his hands, he glanced at the white dove now perched on his right knee. "Ne, why the note, Tama?", he asked. Tama only cooed and flew away.

 _It also started with a note._

The second time he saw Tama, Conan just came back from school. Two days had passed since that first day he saw her sitting leisurely on his windowsill. Although the little detective had been wondering for long hours what the enigmatic thief was on about, he'd sort of forgotten all about it as soon as he'd gotten the chance to leave his bed. Kaitou KID could wait, his maths test, not so much.

Conan was just glad he actually didn't miserably fail his test this time around - he still felt upset and embarrassed whenever he thought back on that day he missed one question and got the rest of them wrong because he got distracted by a _stupid_ white-cladded thief flying away in broad daylight. He always felt even more _flustered_ thinking of what had happened - what he could _remember_ happening - a few nights later when he'd tried to attend said thief's heist while being sick. But that was a story for another time.

Dropping his backpack on the side of his bed, Conan took a few steps towards his desk to drop his phone and his skateboard, before making his way towards the window. Tama was watching him intently, standing straight on her two little feet, one of them laced again with a rolled-up piece of paper.

"What is it today, Tama?", he asked the bird, not really expecting an answer.

 _From the moon to the sun,_

 _I know the shadows are lurking in,_

 _But your warmth and brightness will cast them away._

Conan stared at the little parchment in his hands - his now _shaking_ hands - wide-eyed and mouth agape. _How much_ had that damn thief figured out already?

Frowning, he almost crushed the note in one of his small hands, the other one coming to his forehead to rub it. This was painful; painfully _scary_. Fair enough, he trusted the thief for a while now - what not with him _fainting_ in his arms and all, and... _no, stop thinking about that day_ , he scolded himself, as he could sense this annoying feeling of embarrassment coming back. He really needed to erase that particular heist from his memory. Then again, receiving random notes from the phantom thief wasn't exactly helping.

Sighing, he went to his bed, lying flat on his back as he lifted his arms up to unfold the letter. His face was feeling warm. Maybe the fever was back? Either that, or he was blushing, and that just wouldn't do.

Growling in frustration, Conan let one of his hand drop flat behind his head, eyes fixed on the last line of the thief's note. He was certain now, he was completely flustered, cheeks reddened from embarrassment, and another feeling he did _not_ want to think about right now. And that was all Kaitou KID's fault.

 _… your warmth and brightness will cast them away …_

"Stupid thief," he muttered, closing his eyes to calm his now racing heartbeat.

He then heard the soft sound of wings flipping near him, before feeling Tama's light weight on his stomach. Conan let out a small laugh when she started poking him playfully with her beak as if trying to cheer him up. A few minutes later, the small detective watched Tama fly away, leaving him alone with his thoughts of one mysterious thief.

 _It also started with a note._

It was a Thursday, the next time Tama visited him. More than a week had passed then, and Conan almost thought the gentleman thief was finally done with his recent antics. And if he somewhat felt disappointed by it, there was no way he would have openly admitted it. Kaitou KID was an annoying thief, and Conan was a detective. There was nothing special going on between them, and they were not _close_.

It was with another growl that he greeted the white dove waiting for him on the windowsill, frustrated to feel his heart racing in his small chest despite his attempts to control it. _Stupid thief_ , he thought again, annoyed.

He loved Tama though. She was tiny, lean and very pretty, her wings well-ordered as though someone had taken the time to brush them down neatly. Conan idly thought that she was probably the favourite amongst the thief's doves.

"What'd you got for me today, Tama?", he asked her softly, already pulling the little parchment from her right leg.

Making his way towards his chair, he let Tama land on his shoulder, her tiny beak poking the collar of his blue jacket. He stroked her gently to have her stop, before opening the rolled-up piece of paper in one swift movement.

 _From the thief to its gem,_

 _Pandora is a cursed name,_

 _What I seek and what needs to be destroyed._

That… was unexpected. Conan frowned, forgetting to blush at the thief's new 'nickname' for him. _Pandora?_ he thought bemused, letting his chin rest between his thumb and index finger.

He'd heard of Pandora before, but it's always been related to Greek mythology: created by the gods to trick Prometheus, himself a trickster and fire god, she's been known throughout history for opening a jar containing all manner of misery and evil, leaving only hope behind.

Conan remembered, when he was still Shinichi, how he'd once fought about it with Ran. His childhood friend had been insisting upon the fact that it was called 'Pandora's box' for a reason, and Shinichi, being the nerd he was, went through an exhaustive list of facts explaining why and how 'Pandora's jar' turned into a box in the sixteenth century. No surprise there, it'd ended up with Ran wiping his smug smile off his face with one of her karate kick. Conan shuddered thinking back about it.

But why was the thief mentioning this myth to him _now_? Pandora's jar didn't exist, it was just a legend. Not something that needed to be…destroyed, he thought, his frown deepening on his forehead. Conan had to think this through. He could _feel_ this was something important. A _clue_ the thief was giving him to better understand… _Understand what?_

Long minutes passed during which he simply sat on his chair, puzzling over this new piece of information. Reading the note for the umpteenth time, Conan let the words mix and match in his mind, in an attempt to figure out the thief's hidden message. _Pandora, cursed name, seek and destroy, its gem…_

"It's _gem_?", he repeated aloud. He glanced at the white dove sitting quietly on his left shoulder. "Is this what he means, Tama?", he asked her, bewildered.

Unlocking his phone, Conan typed in a few words on his search bar, scrolling over a few pages, a victorious smile stretching his lips upon reading the results. He was right. It all made sense now: the flashy heists, the card-gun instead of a normal gun, the stealing but sending the jewels back, the _odd_ habit with the moonlight, and now the note. Conan finally understood everything.

"Stupid thief," he let out in a breath, amazed by his new discovery, stunned by this new feeling of contentment which was taking over him. _Kaitou KID would always be full of surprises_ , he thought fondly.

He stroked Tama again, a happy smile on his lips, excited about today's note. The phantom thief had just given him a _huge_ hint of why he was on a stealing-spree - somehow like a sort of privilege only Conan could receive - trusting the little detective to deduce it all. Screw it that they were on opposite sides of the law, Conan was feeling _special_ today.

"I'll be waiting for the next note, Tama," he said to the dove, as he grabbed her gently, walking towards the window. He let her go a second later, a content smile still playing on his lips as he watched her becoming a white spot in the twilight sky.

 _It all started with a dove. It ended with a note._

Five days had passed since Conan had made his great discovery about the mystery surrounding Kaitou KID. Five days during which he spent most of his free time researching more information about Pandora, the gem he now realised the thief was after. He didn't fully understand _why_ , but he really wanted to help KID, even if just a little. He's even called his mother, hoping that somehow her brilliant novelist husband would have heard of the mystical gem - he was _not_ going to ask anything directly to his father - but to no avail.

Five days had passed, and Conan came to the conclusion that he would have to ask Kaitou KID himself for the truth. _Well, if he ever decides to send a new heist notice_ , he mused slightly annoyed.

Lying on his bed in his light green pyjamas, hands stuck behind his head, Conan was staring at the reflection of the streetlights on his ceiling, lost deep in thoughts. He didn't notice the little white dove perched on his windowsill, her red eyes glowing in the night. Tama cooed once, startling him.

"Tama!", he gasped, getting up to go meet her. "I didn't expect you to come back."

Conan let a small smile stretch the corner of his lips, feeling relieved to see the white bird nuzzling against his hand. She was soft and she seemed happy to see him too.

"I'm glad you're here, Tama," he said softly, still stroking the dove, his thoughts drifting unwillingly to her enigmatic owner.

Conan would not admit it aloud, but he was glad to see Tama in his room. She was the only link connecting KID to him, proof that the thief somehow thought of him too - however he was thinking of him.

He pulled out the little parchment attached to her right leg, taking it in one hand, the other scooping Tama to take her with him to his bed. Sitting on the edge of it, Conan gently dropped the dove on his side, unfolding the thief's note under the moonlight.

 _From the kaitou to his tantei,_

 _Those soccer balls are hell,_

 _But I will miss them._

Conan broke into a small laugh, shaking his head unbelievingly at the thief's antics. Honestly, KID could be such an idiot sometimes - _most of the time_ , his mind supplied for him teasingly. He then let out a surprised gasp, his laugh suddenly coming to a halt, his body stiffening as the last few words written by the thief finally sunk in.

" _'I will miss them'_?", he repeated aloud, feeling his fingers tightening around the edges of tonight's note.

Turning his gaze towards the little dove sitting next to him, Conan spent a few minutes staring at her, eyes locked in her red ones, his mind screaming and his heart racing furiously. _What the hell was this all about now?!_

"No way!", he blurted out, rising abruptly from the bed - and scaring Tama at the same time. Conan hurried to the opened window, his little hands grabbing the edge angrily as he let out a frustrated shout to the empty sky.

"KID, you stupid thief!", he yelled. And if he sounded desperate, so be it. Conan simply hoped that _somehow_ the thief was nearby and would just _appear_ with his shit-eating grin and his stupid roses and his annoying "Tantei-kun~", and just, just tell him this note was nothing but a _joke_.

The little detective jerked when he felt Tama fly above his head, leaving him alone once again. Squeezing the little note in his right hand, he slowly made his way back to his bed, lying flat on his stomach. Kaitou KID was saying farewell, and his chest was hurting.

"Stupid thief," he murmured softly, voice broken.

 _It all started with a dove. It ended with a note._

Conan shifted uncomfortably, feeling sore, his limbs numb from the weird sleeping position he's been in. Stretching his small body like a cat, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands, before dropping them to his sides. He blinked, startled, upon feeling a soft feathery figure under his fingers. Tama was sleeping soundly next to him.

"Why are you back, Tama?", he whispered more to himself than to the dove.

Making sure to not wake her up - even birds need their rest, right? - he gently lifted her up from the sheets, checking whether there was a note attached to her leg or not. _There is_ , he sighed mentally, relieved to see the little white parchment. Pulling it away lightly, he unfolded the note with one hand, the other moving Tama back to the bedsheets. He jerked as he felt a second piece of paper fell on his thighs. _Two notes?_

 _From Kaito to Shinichi,_

 _A name, a promise and a wish._

 _I will come back for your answer,_

 _Wait for me._

 _For my answer?_ he mused for a few seconds, before picking up the second note. Maybe there'd be something in it to clarify the thief's riddle?

Dropping the first parchment on his side, right next to Tama, still sound asleep, Conan unrolled what he could feel would be the thief's _last_ note to him tonight - or was it forever? - in one swift movement.

 _From me to you,_

 _No more pretence,_

 _Only one truth prevails,_

 _I love you._

After reading it time and again, Conan finally let out a breath he didn't know he's been holding, his hands shaking slightly.

" _Kaito_ …", he muttered gently, feeling his cheeks reddening. Bringing his hands to his face, he hid his embarrassment away and let out a small laugh, feeling suddenly giddy. "Stupid thief," he said again, a bittersweet smile stretching his lips, "using my line like that."

 _I love you… Wait for me…_

Conan let out a silent sigh, before muttering, "...just make it quick already."

The small detective then let himself fall back on his bed, closing his eyes and finally enjoying the warmth enveloping him. _Kaito…,_ he sighed mentally, hands crisped around the little note above his heart. That damn thief would really be the death of him. And if Conan was stupid enough to wait for him, so be it.

 _It all ended with a note._

 _._._._._._._._._

This heist wasn't what he's been expecting. Then again, he wasn't entirely certain what he'd been expecting. Just because he decided on disappearing out of the blue - of course, for a good reason - it didn't mean time had suddenly stopped for the rest of the world. A year and a half had passed since he'd left Japan, and though he _finally_ made it back home, things had certainly changed.

Of course, Nakamori Ginzou and his task force had kept loyal and came for him tonight. They chased Kaitou KID for a good two hours before getting stuck in very sticky traps. But none of his old rivals - _critics_ \- had actually shown up. Not even Tantei-kun. _Especially Tantei-_ kun _._

Kaito felt a pang of disappointment - or was it plain heartache? - hit him so sharply, he gasped. Had he been that foolish to believe Tantei-kun would really wait for him that long? He'd never even given the detective a chance to react to those _stupid_ words he'd written back then; those silly love notes embroiled with poetry and mystery. He'd been such an _idiot_.

Letting out a small frustrated laugh, Kaito gently put away his night's worthless prize before leaning on the ledge in front of him. He still had around twenty minutes before the inspector and his officers would come up here. Enough time to brood over the fact that his life sucked big time: despite travelling the world for it, he still hadn't found Pandora, and he completely messed it up with his Tantei-kun. Honestly, why was he still staying here? There was no point lingering, Meitantei was not coming… right?

Feeling his heart sink into the pit of his stomach, Kaito swiftly adjusted his white top hat, his other hand dropping to his belt to open his glider, ready to take his leave. He stopped short upon hearing a loud bang behind him, adrenaline rushing through his veins as he realised that _someone_ managed to catch up to him.

"KID!", he heard a foreign but somewhat _familiar_ voice cry out.

Making a slow, _calculated_ , ninety-degree turn on his heels, he suddenly felt his heart skip a beat, before completely forgetting how to breathe. Wide-eyed, Kaito stayed stunned there, watching the one and only Great Detective of the East, Kudou Shinichi, panting against the rooftop door, cheeks red from what Kaito assumed was due to running eleven flights of stairs.

"M-Meitantei?", he blurted out, poker face completely gone.

How was Kudou Shinichi, the _real_ full-grown version of the detective, here right now in front of him? Was he dreaming this? Kaito wanted to pinch himself to make sure but didn't get the luxury of doing so as he saw the other teen taking a few steps towards him, quickly closing the distance between them. Startled, the magician thief took a step back, feeling his legs hit the wall behind him.

"KID," he heard again, softer this time, as he watched his Tantei-kun halt two meters away from him.

Somehow, Kaito felt that painful pang he had earlier on completely gone now. Kudou Shinichi was right in front of him, still catching on his breath, cheeks now pink and eyes gleaming oddly. He was beautiful.

"Eh?", was all he could mutter, surprise still playing on his face. _Gosh, his eyes are gorgeous_ , was the only thought running through his mind at the moment. Aghast and hopelessly lovestruck, he was just a standing mess.

Kaito jolted upon seeing the detective taking a few other steps towards him, pulling out something from his chest pocket. Presenting his hand to the gentleman thief, he slowly opened it, revealing a small rolled-up parchment. _Was that a… note?_

A trembling hand found its way to the detective's one, picking up gently the little piece of paper under Kudou's piercing gaze. Swallowing hard, Kaito glanced one more time at those fiery eyes which were challenging him to open the damn note. He had to open it, he was going to open it. He owed at least that much to Meitantei, right? Gosh, he was so nervous.

"Well, what are you waiting for, _Kaito_?", said Kudou, almost teasingly.

Unrolling the paper in a swift sliding of his index finger, Kaito took in a long breath, which found itself caught in his chest upon reading Meitantei's words.

 _From me to you,_

 _Shadows are gone, no more secret,_

 _I don't have a dove, so that will do,_

 _Here's my answer,_

 _I love you too._

"You... do?", he whispered unbelievingly, feeling the heat rising on his cheeks.

A second later, he felt more than he saw Kudou's lips on his, pressing in a gentle kiss. Kaito didn't even have time to process it that the detective had pulled away, blushing but giving him one of the prettiest smiles he's ever seen.

"Stupid thief," he started with a smirk, taking a step closer to Kaito, his hands finding its way to the magician's to intertwine their fingers, "You made me wait for so long, you better make up for it now."

To which Kaito only answered with one of his own trademark grins, before leaning in for another long-awaited kiss. They'll have a lot to talk about, a lot to figure out. And Kaito would definitely read that note a few times more, if not just to laugh at the dove reference.

 _But for now_ , Kaito thought idly as he stared fondly at his detective, _one thing really matters: kissing Shinichi._

THE END.

* * *

 **Notes:**

Ok. So. Don't ask why, but my mind decided to make my other fic, Give Me A Hug, canon for this story. I'm still laughing about it and I hope you guys noticed it ;)

On another note, I am getting a bit frustrated with how my writing decides to turn into angst before everything ends well, like wth is going on here?... Thank god I decided to write the ending before the rest of the story! Ahem.

Last note: I know I have a few WIP here, but I cannot guarantee when I'd be able to finish them (but I will), since my hands have been misbehaving for the past months (bad injury) and I have to take it easy. So I apologize for making anyone wait on me.

That said, I sure hope you enjoyed the story!

Leave me a comment if you can, I always enjoy reading and replying to them 3 (spotting mistakes, sending critics or constructive feedback or just "I loved it" are always welcome!)

See you next illusion~

Zai.

PS: Ugh, I forgot how editing here was such a pain in the neck. Please make sure my efforts are worth it! :p


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